Eye on Baselworld: Your first look at the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8

Every watchmaker has their own point of view when it comes to the design and aesthetic of a timepiece. The minds behind the new Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 special edition had no doubt in their minds that they wanted a sporty watch with a dark look and feel. On the design front, this watch suffers no confusion about its identity; the lunar influence of the Apollo 8 mission is clear and well executed.

The 44.25mm black zirconium oxide ceramic case contains a striking skeletonized dial crafted to resemble the surface of the moon. Since this watch is inspired by the space mission that allowed man to view (for the first time) the “dark side of the moon”, you’ll find several clever details that reference that iconic moment in history. For instance the skeletonized cutaway dial is crafted to resemble the crate filled surface of the moon. In fact, the dial is a lighter color while the moon-surface details seen through the caseback are much darker (representing the dark side). Around the sapphire crystal caseback Apollo 8 Command Module pilot Jim Lovell’s quote is immortalized in the world of horology. “We’ll see you on the other side,” he famously said.

The watch is powered by the Omega Caliber 1869 (a specially decorated version of Omega’s Calibre 1861), a hand wound movement with a power reserve of 48 hours. There’s something undeniably cool about the execution of the black and yellow color combination seen on this watch. Omega incorporated yellow into a Speedmaster for the first time in 1968 (the same year of the Apollo 8 mission), so they have neatly woven their own legacy into the inspiration for this watch. The watch sports a black leather strap with yellow stitching and a yellow rubber core.
Following its debut at Baselworld the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 will be in stores from August 2018.